New From Viz Media's Haikasoru Imprint, A Stirring New Anthology of Fantasy, Science Fiction, And Cyberpunk Shows Why The Future Is Japanese

May 17th 2012

New Literary Release Features 13 Innovative Stories From And
About Japan By An International Collection Of Some Of Sci-Fi
Fiction's Most Acclaimed Authors

San Francisco, CA, May 16, 2012 – VIZ Media's Haikasoru imprint announces
the release of THE FUTURE IS JAPANESE, a new fiction anthology featuring science
fiction and fantasy stories from some of today's greatest writers from both Japan
and the English-speaking world. The book is now available from the company's
Haikasoru imprint and has a MSRP of $14.99 U.S. / $17.99 CAN. An eBook edition
will also be available for the Amazon Kindle, Apple's iBooks Store, the Barnes &
Noble's Nook Books Store, and the Sony Reader™ Store.

Haikasoru publishes some of the most compelling contemporary Japanese science
fiction and fantasy stories for English-speaking audiences, and is the first imprint
based in the U.S. dedicated to Japanese science fiction and fantasy in translation.

THE FUTURE IS JAPANESE offers a selection of original and classic science fiction
about Japan from some of the greatest writers in the world. Stories include a
web browser that threatens to conquer the world, the longest, loneliest railroad
on Earth, a North Korean nuke hitting Tokyo, a hollow asteroid full of automated
rice paddies, and a specialist in breaking up “virtual” marriages. And yes, giant
robots. These thirteen stories from and about the Land of the Rising Sun run the
gamut from fantasy to cyberpunk, and will leave readers knowing that the future is
Japanese!

“THE FUTURE IS JAPANESE is a stirring new anthology and the first release of
original prose fiction by Haikasoru,” says Nick Mamatas, Haikasoru Editor. “Japan is
a nation long renowned for its futuristic worldview, and THE FUTURE IS JAPANESE
will engross readers with short stories by authors such as cyberpunk legends Pat

VIZ Media's Haikasoru Imprint Releases THE FUTURE IS JAPANESE

Cadigan and Bruce Sterling, New York Times bestselling author Catherynne Valente,
the enormously popular and prolific Japanese writer Hideyuki Kikuchi, and hot new
writers Rachel Swirsky, David Moles, and Ken Liu, who have all already won or been
nominated for the Nebula and Hugo awards. We look forward to readers discovering
and enjoying this new collection!”

For more information on THE FUTURE IS JAPANESE and the Haikasoru imprint,
please visit the dedicated website at www.haikasoru.com

About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses
the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan. Owned by three of Japan's largest
manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-
Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and
manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and
South Africa. With its popular monthly manga anthology SHONEN JUMP magazine and
blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-
edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction
and fantasy fans of all ages. VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs,
animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of
consumer products. Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.

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